Jonathan Walters scores perfect hat-trick as QPR's away woes continue

Jonathan Walters scored a perfect hat-trick to take Stoke into the top half of the Premier League and ensure QPR’s woes on the road continue.

The 31-year-old forward scored first-half goals with either foot and added a header in the dying minutes to take his tally to seven for the season as the R’s slumped to their 11th defeat in their 11 away games this campaign.

The first goal came just after 20 minutes when a lapse from QPR defender Karl Henry allowed Stephen Ireland to flick the ball into the path of Walters, who opened out his body and found the bottom right corner.

The lead was doubled less than 15 minutes later and again Ireland was the provider, slipping it across to Walters on the break, with the striker finding the same corner but this time with his left foot.

QPR immediately reduced the deficit, Niko Kranjcar latching onto a deflected shot and tucking into an empty net for his third goal in his last three visits to the Britannia.

Despite a spirited fight-back, which saw Joey Barton rattle the crossbar with a free-kick, QPR could not find an equaliser and were exposed at the death when Walters raced onto a bouncing ball to head powerfully home and complete his perfect afternoon.

21’ - GOAL! Stoke 1-0 QPR - Stoke have the lead as Walters slots home after a terrible mistake from Karl Henry. Green gets a hand on it but it's not enough to deflect it wide. 1-0!

25’ - CLOSE! Moses stands over a free-kick and curls it beautifully towards the top corner but it has just a little too much bend on it. It comes back off the stanchion and rattles the net and the home fans think it's in.

34 - GOAL! Stoke 2-0 QPR - Stoke double their lead and it's that man again Jonathan Walters! Again Ireland makes it, bursting forward and slipping it across for Walters to find the same bottom right corner but this time with his left peg.

36’ - GOAL! Stoke 2-1 QPR - QPR are back in it! Fer bursts forward and slips it to Barton into the box, he cuts it back and Kranjcar is on hand to tuck the deflected shot into the gaping net. What a response! 2-1

56’ - What an effort! Fer strikes a hopeless free-kick towards the box, Vargas flicks it up for himself and throws himself into the air for a bicycle kick. Incredible acrobatics but the shot is straight at Begovic.

77’ - OFF THE BAR! Barton takes the free-kick and rattles the crossbar with his curling effort. Begovic is beaten - unlucky.

90+2’ - GOAL! Stoke 3-1 QPR - It's a hat-trick for Walters and that is game, set and match! The ball is pumped into the box, Barton gets his head on it, but Walters races onto it and heads it home on the bounce.

Stoke have won five out of 11 Premier League games at the Britannia this season.

They have won six of their last eight matches in all competitions.

No player has been involved in more Stoke goals than Jon Walters this season (seven goals, three assists).

QPR have lost all 11 of their away games in the league this season.

They have only kept one clean sheet in their last 19 Premier League away games.

Will QPR go the whole season without an away point? Rangers became the first team in 50 years to lose their first 10 away games of a top-flight season. And now that run has extended to 11. Their second-half display here was decent but not enough to deter you from thinking that it might just happen - they might go the whole season without so much as a point on the road.

Jonathan Walters (Stoke). A perfect hat-trick - who else can you give it to? The forward came up with three superbly taken goals and was the difference in this match. An increasingly important player for Mark Hughes' side.

Stoke: Begovic 6; Bardsley 7, Shawcross 6, Wollscheid 6, Wilson 6; Nzonzi 6, Whelan 6; Arnautovic 5, Ireland 8, Moses 7; Walters 9... Subs: Muniesa 6, Adam 6, Crouch 6.

QPR: Green 6, Isla 6, Dunne 6, Onuoha 6, Hill 6, Vargas 7, Henry 4, Barton 6, Fer 6, Kranjcar 6, Austin 6... Subs: Yun 6, Hoilett 6, Zamora 7